


As The Feathers Fall

by wordslikelightning



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-28 19:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordslikelightning/pseuds/wordslikelightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school aged AU: Dean feels betrayed by Castiel, thinking his best friend is avoiding him. But when Dean goes to confront him, he is surprised by what he finds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As The Feathers Fall

Dean grips the steering wheel of his beloved Impala, glaring at the window of his best friend’s bedroom. Castiel hadn’t been in school again today and he wasn’t answering his phone. This wasn’t like him and to be honest, Dean was trying to decide whether he should be betrayed or worried. Had he driven Cas away? He wracked his brain, but it came up blank. It had taken him so long to finally find someone who wanted to be his friend.

‘ _Unless..._ ’ Dean thought, ‘ _what if he realized that I have... feelings for him? Is he shutting me out now? I thought he was above this kind of crap!_ ’

A numb feeling washed over the teen. He saw Cas’ brother Gabriel’s car in the driveway and that cemented his decision. Dean slid out of his car and strode to the door, giving the surface three quick taps with his knuckles.

An older teen with shaggy golden hair pushed back in a headband pulled the door open. His green flecked hazel eyes widened slightly, then became uncharacteristically soft. Gabriel stepped aside with a slow sigh and gestured toward the stairs.

“I told him you would show up if he didn’t tell you. He is in his room.” Gabriel closed the door as Dean made his way further into the house. Dean had just started to climb the stairs when a hand closed around his wrist. “I better be right in trusting you, WInchester. If you hurt him-”

There was no need for him to finish the threat, the younger boy was already nodding. Gabriel let the wrist slip from his grasp and Dean made his way to the second floor. The elder Winchester hesitated outside the door, his fingers resting on the cool metal handle. He took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open.

Dean was frozen, mouth agape and eyes wide. All the hurt and words of abandonment flew from mind as he saw the prone form of his best friend. Castiel was spread out on his stomach atop the mess of blankets on his bed. The lights were off, but the afternoon sun still filtered through the shades. It cast an ethereal glow across the planes of the boy's shirtless torso, as well as the pair of raven colored wings protruding from his back. They were each roughly the length of his outstretched arm, but the further they got from his back, the less solid they seemed.

After Dean got over the shock or his best friend having wings. He looked to Castiel's face; which was contorted in agony, eyes screwed shut. His hands were fisted into the sheets with white knuckles. Dean watched as the boy's slight frame arched and a whimper escaped his lips. The sound snapped Dean back to his senses and he quickly made his way through the darkened room to the side of the bed. His gently placed his hand over he one that was grasping the blankets like a lifeline. The touch started Castiel, he sucked in a gasp as his eyes flew open. The electric blue Dean had only become used to after years spent in the company of this peculiar boy. After 17 years of being neighbors, schoolmates, and friends, he occasionally is still caught of guard by those cerulean irises. This was one of those times. They were almost glowing in the dim light, fever bright and wide. They looked beseechingly up at him from under the sweat-plastered hair on his forehead. The hand under Dean's let go of the sheets in favor of curling it's fingers around Dean's.

"...Dean?" The sound was hardly more that an whisper. How a sound so small could contain that volume of pain.

Dean swallowed thickly, "Yeah Cas, I'm here." He knelt down so they was eye to eye with each other.

He was met with a gaze pleading for relief. "Dean... It hurts. It hurts so much," Castiel's voice broke as he said it and eyes falling closed again. Dean was at a loss. He had patched Cas up before form the occasional scuffle or accident, but nothing this bad. He didn't know how to help because he couldn't see where it hurt. He shifted back on his legs so he could make soothing circles on Castiel's lower back, carefully avoiding the wings. His friend's muscles relaxed a little at the touch and he buried his face into his pillow.

"I'm so sorry, Cas. I don't know what to do. I mean, you have... _wings_!" The dark haired boy's chuckle turned into a wince as his wings flexed slightly.

"I do not think there is much you can do," he sighed. “I am sorry I d-did not tell you. I wanted to, but I was af-fraid of what you would think of me.” Each word he forced out was rough and breathless and he stuttered occasionally with the waves of pain wracking his small frame. But Dean could see the determination in his friend’s eyes; he let him explain while running a hand through his damp hair. “It has happened to all of my brothers and ask you ca-can see it very pa-painful. I have to be bedridden until they g-grow in fully. After that, I have to learn how t-to hide them.” He glanced over to met the pair of green eyes. "Would you mind staying with me?" Dean did not answer right away, being too entranced by the dusk colored feathers. Castiel too the silence as rejection, "Unless... If you are repulsed, I do not blame you. Similarly, if you no longer wish to be friends-" Dean stopped his stream of chatter with a hand gingerly turning the boy’s face to him.

"Castiel, you think that after all of these year, I would run away when you are obviously in pain? You think I'm that big of an ass? Dude, you helped me through mom dying, dad drinking and all the other crap that is my life. No, just... no.” With that, Dean stood and made his way to the less occupied side of the bed, shucked of his shoes and jacket, and nudged Cas with his knee. “Shift, if I’m staying then I’m going to make myself comfortable.”

They settled in with Dean leaning against the headboard, Cas laying in his lap and across his legs, with arms encircling the other’s waist. Dean carded his fingers through the dark hair at the nape of Castiel’s neck, knowing it calmed him down. He felt the boy’s light frame melt into his lap.

“Hey, Cas?”

 “Mm?” The winged boy turned his face, peaking up through his dark lashes to Dean.

“Don’t ever let me hear you call yourself repulsive again. You weren’t before and aren’t now,” Dean whispered as he ghosted his fingers over pale shoulders near the base of the shuttering wings. He leaned down to make them close to eye level, “I am only going to say thins once so listen up. Castiel Novak, you are beautiful, with or without your wings.” He punctuated the speech by dropping a peck to the crown of raven colored curls.

Castiel’s eyes turned glassy, meeting the pair of green ones watching him intently. He finally reached and threaded his fingers through Dean’s and squeezed them weakly. “Thank you, Dean,” Cas sighed as he pushed his face into Dean’s flannel. They stayed like that for a long time and eventually fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> I don't own anything, I just like to play here. The writers and creators get all the credit for making such wonderful places and characters.  
> Most works are not beta read. All mistakes are my own.  
> I can be found at theseeyesofmine or wordslikelightning on Tumblr if anyone is interested.
> 
> There is a possibility that I could add onto this later.


End file.
